society
Everyday life is hectic. My phone is constantly pinging with emails. I have an 11am meeting to prepare for, I need to call the plumber and pay the electricity bill. I’ve got to get to my dental appointment before walking the dog and picking up the children. I’m tethered to technology, my mind is relentlessly being pulled from pillar to post and my emotions are scattered, leaving me feeling stressed out and highly strung. And that’s just me… then there’s the rest of the family to consider. As I write this, my eldest son, Louis, is embroiled in his GCSEs and, with 24 exams to contend with, even the most laid-back teenager has the potential to combust. My daughter, Olivia, meanwhile, has just turned 13 and, fraught with the typical adolescent tensions, social media is taking its grip. It’s terrifying, and I can feel my heart rate increase just as rapidly as her followers. Then there’s my happy-golucky 10-year-old, Jude, who, known for his lightness of heart, is getting bogged down with pending SATs tests. Did I mention my husband, Josh, in all of this? Aside from being a genuinely great bloke, he’s currently consumed by work, with barely enough time to come up for air, let alone to revive the rest of the family.